ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A 17 year old is facing charges after police say he punched an officer in the face at Franklin Wednesday afternoon.

It happened after officers broke up a small fight in the school, and officers tried to get the 17-year-old boy off school property — he’d been suspended for fighting the day before.

Police say they tried to detain the boy and he punched an officer in the face. After a short scuffle, officers were able to take him into custody.

The officer is out of work, and is being treated for injuries to his body and face.

The 17 year old has been charged with the following:

• Assualt in the second degree
• Criminal trespass in the third degree
• Resisting arrest

He was arraigned Wednesday night and brought to the Monroe County Children’s Center.

Officers say they’re working with RCSD and their partners in violence prevention to ensure safety at Franklin. Additional RPD officers will be at the campus during dismissal.

Here is a statement from RCSD’s Interim Superintendent Demario Strickland about the incident:

“We are deeply concerned about yesterday’s incident outside of Padilla High School during which an officer was injured while attempting to de-escalate a situation involving a student.”

“Districtwide, we have taken significant steps to help ensure a safe environment for all, including partnering with the City of Rochester’s Pathways to Peace program to provide conflict resolution support and working closely with the Rochester Police Department, which maintains a regular presence during school dismissal at selected schools. Additionally, we have increased safety protocols, including additional Safety and Security staff, and are providing students with access to counseling and restorative practices aimed at addressing the root causes of these conflicts.”

“We are committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and supportive school environment, and we will continue to prioritize measures that promote positive student behavior and ensure the security of everyone on campus.”

Mayor Malik Evans says the city is working with the district.

“Safety as a community has to be done by taking a community approach, and this is why it’s so important that parents, and the school, and the city are all involved working at the table collaboratively in order to ensure safety. We cannot have people who are not supposed to be on school grounds, coming onto school grounds to wreak havoc, and then endangering students and then endangering police officers. We just can’t tolerate that in this community,” Evans said.